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February 06, 2013 03:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Legion Leader Says “No” to Military Pay Cut Plan

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The leader of the nation’s largest wartime veterans’ service
organization, The American Legion, is taking strong exception to a
recommendation by outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that would
effectively cut the pay of active duty military personnel. Panetta, in a
speech at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, said he
plans to ask Congress to limit troop salary increases to 1% in 2014.
Since this hike is below the estimated rise in the cost of living for
that year, the limitation would effectively reduce service members’ pay.

“This is not the way to go about saving money”

“This is not the way to go about saving money,” said James E. Koutz,
national commander of the 2.4 million member Legion. “Making the men and
women of the military pay for out of control spending by others is
unwarranted, unfair and just plain wrong. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen
and Marines deserve a raise to at least keep pace with the cost of
living -- certainly not a cut. This unwise move would punish our service
members for the sins of others.” Koutz also said that no federal
employee should receive a higher increase than members of the military.

Koutz said he did, however, “agree wholeheartedly” with Secretary
Panetta’s repeated warnings about the potentially dire consequences of
proposed massive cuts in military spending. Panetta, who retires from
office later this month, reiterated his anti-sequestration stance during
his Georgetown speech.

A high resolution photo of Nat. Cmdr. Koutz is available at www.legion.org.